Hooded food container



May l, 1951 F. T. HILLIKER HOODED FOOD CONTAINER 3 Sheets--Sheerl 1 Filed Jan. 18, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /A/VEA/rof? F. T. HILLIKER HOODED FOOD CONTAINER FRANKT. HIL'LIKER fyewwmjf -rra Nav F IG. 4.

May 1, 1951 Filed Jan. 18, 194e May l, 1951 F. T. HILLIKER HooDED Foon CONTAINER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 18, 1946 Z" Flag.

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/NL/ENr-OR FRANK T HILLIKER fAU/mmf FIGI.

H7- -ro/QNEV Patented May 1, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIcE 6 Claims.

This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in hooded food containers.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a hooded food container which is simple and economical in design and construction and is provided with a unique disappearing cover or hood which can be shifted to a completely concealed position beneath the food receptacle so as to leave the food contained therein fully displayed and fully accessible for serving.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide food containers of the type stated which are provided with means for keeping edible, and either warm or cold as may be desired, the food therein contained.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a food container of the type stated which is provided with a cover or hood which is dynamically counterbalanced so that it may be very easily moved from close-d to open position with a minimum of manual effort.

And with the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings (three sheets) Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hooded food container constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the hooded food container;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the hooded food container taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of the hooded food container taken along line 4 4 of Figure 3 and showing the cover or hood in closed position;

Figures 5 and 6 are fragmentary sectional views taken respectively along lines 5 5 and 6-6 of Figure 4;

Figure '7 is a transverse view of the hooded food container partly broken away and in section showing the cover or hood in open position;

Figures 8, 9, 10, and ll are fragmental schematic views showing the interaction between the cover or hood and the retardation spring-cam; and

Figure l2 is a fragmental perspective view of a modilied form of hood-manipulating handle forming a part of the present invention.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawings which illustrate practical embodiments of the present invention, A designates a hooded food container comprising an integral pot-shaped casting I of preferably oblong-rectangular horizontal cross-sectional shape, having side walls 2, including upper more or less vertical portions 2', and inwardly converging or oblique lower portions 2, connected by a flat bottom wall 3, and substantially vertical end walls 4. Formed integrally with and extending horizontally outwardly from the upper margins of the side walls 2 and end walls 4 is a flange 5 having an integrally formed peripheral skirt 6 depending vertically therefrom in outwardly spaced parallel relation to the upper portions 2 of the side walls 2 and the proximate portions of the end walls 4. The flange 5 is provided with a narrow U-shaped slot I having a bight-portion 'I' and leg-portion 1" extending, respectively, in outwardly spaced parallel relation to one side wall 2 and the end walls 4, the leg-portions l terminating a short distance past the horizontal center line of the side walls 4, and formed in the ilange 5 as continuations of the slot-legs i are grooves 8 likewise extending in spaced parallel relation to the end walls 4 and terminating adjacent the other side wall 2, the grooves 8 being provided with bottom walls 8 which taper upwardly and outwardly from their inner ends to their outer ends and are, at such cuter ends, substantially flush with the upwardly presented face of the flange 5.

Formed in the outer portions of the flange 5 along the horizontal center line of the end walls 4, and separated from the main portion of the flange 5 by the slot-legs I, are axially aligned bearing recesses 9 for operatively receiving the pivot pins I0 of a hood or cover II integrally including a hemi-cylindrical top wall I2 and semicircular end walls I3, constructed on a radius slightly greater than the distance between the center of the bearing recesses 9 and the most remote point in the bottom margin of the end Walls 4 so as to adequately clear the Wider faces of the casting I when swung from the closed position shown in Figure 4 to the open position shown in Figure 7. The hood I I, furthermore, is of such dimensions and contour that, when in closed position, one horizontal edge e of the hood topwall I2 will project slightly down into the bightportion I of the slot 1, and the adjacent portions of the bottom edges f of the hood end-walls I3 likewise extend into the leg-portions 'I" of the slot 1, as shown in Figure 5, being bowed downwardly as at y to provide drop-center portions accommodating the pivot pins I0 and extending thence through the grooves 8 being complementarily tapered to t along the bottom wall 8 thereof, as shown in Figure 6. Along its opposite margin, the hood top-wall is integrally provided with a narrow outwardly projecting stopflange i4 resting against the upper face of the flange 5 in the respective positions shown in Figures 4 and 7, to limit the movement of the hood l i, and welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the stop-flange ift is a handle-grip l5 projecting hori Zontally beyond one of the hood end-Walls i3 for convenient accessibility in manually shifting the hood i I from closed to open position.

Formed integrally upon the outer faces of each end wall i of the casting I is a vertically elongated boss l5 provided with a horizontally projecting pivot screw il', and rockably mounted thereon is an eccentric circular counter-weight i8. Rigidly secured upon the peripheral faces of each oi the counter-weights i3 is a ilat spiral spring-cam i9 having a straight tangentially projecting end-portion i9 which normally extends outwardly and downwardly beyond the casting l and across the path through which the hood il travels as it moves from closed to open posi-- tion. It should be noted that the one springcam iii is an identical mirror-image of the other spring-cam i9, so that the two spring-cams will work together, as will presently be more fully understood.

Thus, when the hood l l is swung from closed7 to open position, the leading edge e will engage the end-portions i9 as shown in Figure 8, and carry them forward thereby rotating the springcams i9 into engagement with the inner face oi the hood top-wall i2 as shown in Figure 9. At this point, the hood il is in a heavily over-balanced position inasmuch as its center of gravity is well to Ythe left of the vertical plane passing through the center-line of the pivot pins Il) (reference being had to Figures 7 to 11, inclusive), and if left to swing freely the hood would pick up momentum rapidly as it approached open position so that the stop ange would crash forcefully against the upper face of the flange 5. However, the springcams i9, immediately upon being engaged, begin to exert a retardation or braking effect and roll around with the continued movement of the hood l i, the braking efect increasing as the diametra-lly larger portions of the spiral come into operative engagement, thus exerting a correspondingly increased bearing pressure against the hood top-Wall i2, As the hood I2 approaches open position, however, its center of gravity approaches the vertical plane passing through the center-line of the pivot pins, therefore the accelerating eiect of its weight is progressively diminished. Therefore, the spring cams lg are so shaped that their diametral size begins to decrease sharply as the hood begins to balance itself, so to speak, and in fact actually become automatically released as shown in Figure 10, at which point the counter-weights i8 are overbalanced to the left of the pivot screws il and cause the spring cams i9 to drop free into the position shown in Figure 11, with their end portions I9' in light contacting engagement against the inner face of the hood top-wall l2. es the hood H is returned to closed position the end portions i9' of the spring-cams l5 trail lightly against the inner face of the hood top-wall l2 and exert substantially no retardation or breal ing effect at all. Finally, as the hood' nears closed position the edge e passes beyond the 4 K points of contact With the end portions I9 and the spring cams i9 drop free, returning to original position as shown in Figure 8.

Formed integrally upon, and projecting down war-,ily from, the under face of the bottom wall 3 is a narrow preferably rectangular skirt 2% forming a downwardly opening recess r which is closed by a shallow sheet metal cover 2i red movably held in piace by screws 22. Suitably mounted within the recess r is an electrical heating element 23 having a connecting cord 25s which passes through an insulating grommet fixed in' the shirt 2@ and extends upwardly along one oi the' end walls li ci the casting i to one corner thereof for connection to a conventional type oi thermostatic control switch 25 mounted in the flange 5 and having an exposed manually operable control and setting 1snob 25. The hood i i is so dimensioned that there will be adequate clear-f ance between the cuter face oi 'ie casting wall i and the inner face of the hood en" wall it. to accommodate the connecting cord and, furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the contour oi the lower edge ,i of the hood end wall i3 such that, when the hood l i is in open position. there will be adequate clearance to accommodate' the switch 25 and permit the' connecting cord ii' to extend thereinto. Finally, the peripheral l 6 of the flange 5 is inwardly relieved upon its outer face at 2l to accommodate an enclosing sheet metal housing or hell having a bottom' wall 29 spaced dov urfardly from the path of the" hood i i a sufficient distance to avoid interference with the movement thereof.

li desired, the handle-grip i5 may be elimi-y nated and a modined form hand-lever i5' mounted rigidly upon one of the pivot li! as shown in Figure l2. Similarly, if desired ior purposes of economy, one of the spring-cams and its associated counter weight iS may be eliminated, although two such spring-cams it are preferable in order to exert a balanced retardation or braking effect upon the hood it and thereby avoid putting torsional stresses uponthe pivot pins ifi.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangqw ment, and combination of the several parte of the hooded food be and suhstituteii for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A. food c; ntainer comprising upwardly opening pan, a heini-cylindrical hood. pivotally mounted upon the pan adjacent top thereof and being of such a size as to fit over and above the pan opening in the formation oi closure therefor and being operatively mounted u on the pan for optional movement into compieue' conv i. cealed position, and a spiral spring sivingably mounted at its inner end upon the side wall of the pan and having a radios substant -y greater than the distance between its pivot poi inner face of the hood and projectin path of travel of the hood when the latter is in concealed position whereby the spring will enga e the hood as it swings into concealed position nd roll against the inside face thereof with increasiing compressive pressure, thereby applying an in creasing decelerating force to the hood as the latter moves into concealed position.

2. A food container comprising a pan, a hemicylindrical hood pivotally mounted upon the pan adjacent the top thereof and being of such a size as to t over and above the pan opening in the formation of a closure therefor and being operatively mounted upon the pan for optional movement into completely concealed position, and a counter-weighted spiral spring swingably mounted at its inner end upon the side wall of the pan and having a radius substantially greater than the distance between its pivot point and the inner face of the hood and projecting into the path of travel of the hood when the latter is in concealed position whereby the spring will engage the hood as it swings into concealed position and roll against the inside face thereof with increasing compressive pressure, thereby applying an increasing decelerating force to the hood as the latter moves into concealed position.

3. A food container comprising a pan, a hemicylindrical hood pivotally mounted upon the pan adjacent the top thereof and being of such a size as to nt over and above the pan opening in the formation of a closure therefor and being operatively mounted upon the pan for optional movement into completely concealed position, and spiral springs rigidly provided at one of their ends with counter-weights, the other end of said springs being free, said counter-weights being eccentrically pivoted upon opposite side walls of the pan the free end of said springs projecting downwardly into the path of the forward margin of the hood for engagement therewith when the hood moves into concealed position, whereby said free end will be lifted to cause the counterweights to be rocked bringing the spiral portion of the springs into frictional engagement with the hood as the latter moves into concealed position for retarding movement thereof.

4. A food container comprising a pan, a hemicylindrical hood pivotally mounted upon said pan for optional movement into completely concealed position below said pan, an eccentric circular counter-weight pivotally mounted on the end walls of said pan, and a spring cam mounted at its inner end upon said counter-weight and disposed spirally therearound, said ca'm having a tangentially projecting end portion which extends outwardly and downwardly beyond the pan and across the path through which the hood travels when moving into concealed position,

whereby the engagement of the hood and said tangential end portion of the spring cam will cause the counter-weight to be rocked bringing the spiral portion of the springs into frictional engagement with the inner face of the hood to retard the speed of movement thereof into concealed position.

5. A food container comprising a pan, a hemicylindricai hood pivotally mounted upon said pan for optional movement into completely concealed position below said pan, an eccentric circular counter-weight pivotally mounted on an elongated boss extending from the end walls or said pan, and a spring cam mounted at its inner end upon said counter-weight and disposed spirally therearound, said cam having a tangentially projecting end portion which extends outwardly and downwardly beyond the pan and across the path through which the hood travels when moving into concealed position, whereby the engagement of the hood and said tangential end portion of the spring cam will cause the counter- .veight to be rocked bringing the spiral portion of the springs into frictional engagement with the inner face of the hood to retard the speed of movement thereof into concealed position.

6. A food container comprising a pan, a hemicylindrical hood pivotally mounted upon said pan for optional movement into completely concealed position below said pan, an eccentric circular counter-weight pivotally mounted on an elongated boss extending from the end walls of said pan, and a spring cam mounted at its inner end upon said counter-weight and disposed spirally therearound, said cam having a tangentially projecting end portion which extends outwardly and downwardly beyond the pan and across the path through which the hood travels when moving into concealed position whereby, in retarding the rate of movement of said hood, the spring cam is pushed out of 'said path thus rotating said counter-weight so that on return movement of said hood there is no portion of the spring interposed in said path.

FRANK T. HILLIKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

